Howard says he won’t bend to suit Indonesia

Australian PM John Howard has said that while the issue of providing visas for Papuans has caused some tension with Indonesia, his government will not bend to suit Jakarta.

Australia has given 42 Papuans a 3 year visa after they claimed human rights abuses in Papua, located in Eastern Indonesia. Jakarta wants them back, and is angered by that it sees as Canberra’s support for their separatist ideas. Little Johnny knows how to play the press and after giving Indonesia all kinds of support after the tsunami, can ‘rattle his sabre’ for some home points.

Sometimes these things have a way of going tit for tat and I hope the possibility of a prisoner exchange for Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine doesn’t get derailed because of this.